Final Fiesta of Oregon’s 2012 season also sets the stage for the 2013 campaign

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — Having been to multiple BCS games in their careers, and experienced both victory and defeat, Michael Clay and Dion Jordan know there’s more on the line for Oregon in tonight’s Fiesta Bowl than the result of the game against Kansas State.

While the No. 5 Ducks (11-1) can improve to 3-2 all-time in the Bowl Championship Series, and win 12 games for the third straight season by beating the No. 7 Wildcats (11-1), there are long-term implications as well. The uncertainty of Chip Kelly’s future aside, expectations are that Oregon will again challenge for a national title in 2013, perhaps finally reaching the pinnacle of a mountain this year’s senior class — Clay and Jordan included — made substantial gains in climbing.

“It’s just an honor and a blessing to leave a little bit of a legacy here,” Clay said. “And hopefully they keep it going.”

That will depend in no small part on how the Ducks fare against the Wildcats, in their 5:30 p.m. PT kickoff in University of Phoenix Stadium. Over the past three seasons Oregon has tasted both BCS defeat — in the 2010 Rose Bowl and the 2011 BCS Championship — and victory in the 2012 Rose Bowl, plus the lingering effects of each on the ensuing offseason.

Of the about 105 healthy players with the official traveling party this week, just 13 are seniors. For the other 90-plus, offseason weight lifting and conditioning workouts begin soon, and the outcome tonight isn’t insignificant to those.

“I feel like it’s very big,” Jordan said. “If you lose, it kind of spoils everything. The goal is to come in and win the game.”

“Coming off a loss, it’s kind of a somber month of January; you don’t really want to look at the game film,” Clay said. “But when you win a game, you want to look at the game film, see what you did well, and it gives us momentum going into spring.